What was It Like Being on Hotel Showdown on Travel Channel?

Front of the Ledges HotelEvery night is the same. We all get home and we want to catch up on whatever shows we have missed while we were away. A new genre that has come to the forefront of most everyone’s television preferences is some form of reality TV. There are many different variances of this genre from amazing to down right ridiculous. When looking further into it, most viewers want to know a little more about what goes on behind the scenes and what it’s like filming a show like this. Fortunately for us at Ledges Hotel, our amazing boss and owner, Justin Genzlinger, as well as Ledges Hotel, were featured on Hotel Showdown on Travel Channel. Here are a few things he had to say about being on this great show that features some of the most beautiful inns in America.

Before the first camera started recording, there were a few steps that the inns had to go through. The first mentioning of Ledges Hotel being on Hotel Showdown on Travel Channel was from a general mailing that went out to all of the inns, as well as many more who declined to be on Hotel Showdown on Travel Channel, that was to gauge interest on being on the show. Justin thought about what an opportunity of being on a show like Hotel Showdown on Travel Channel would mean not only for him, but also for the town, and he realized that it would be a great idea. After that, some team members from Hotel Showdown on Travel Channel did a quick interview of Justin to get to know him a little more and then asked for some video clips of the property to get a better overall view of what Ledges Hotel looked like.

After that, it was just waiting until it was time to start filming. Justin stated that it was fortunate for Ledges Hotel because “since we went first we got the most air time.” That was the main reason behind Justin agreeing to be on Hotel Showdown on Travel Channel; exposure. Exposure for not only the hotel, but the town as well. Hawley is a smaller town nestled in the Pocono Mountains and Ledges Hotel can be tricky to find as well, so any exposure about Ledges Hotel or the town is exactly what Justin was hoping to gain from the show. Justin did mention on Hotel Showdown that if he had won he would have installed a hot tub amenity for his guests to enjoy that would have overlooked the gorge. This would have been not only a great amenity for guests, but a big draw to the hotel. Another thing that Justin learned from the experience is how other hotels and inns cater to their guests in different ways than he did, which is always a great learning tool. One thing Justin mentioned that he would like to eventually offer at Ledges Hotel was to offer more breakfast options for those staying in the suites since the space allows for it. Another take away from the experience was to offer more options on the spa menu at Ledges Hotel.

Once filming was done, it was another waiting game until the show aired. Justin mentions that the aired show was pretty true to what happened, if not tamed down a bit for viewers. He states that when Hotel Showdown on Travel Channel shows the properties, not much editing was done.  However, there was a bit more when it came to showing how the contestants interacted with each other. Justin mentions that there were some social parts of the show that “ended up on the cutting room floor”.

Even though Ledges did come in third place, Justin did get exactly what he was hoping for from being on Hotel Showdown on Travel Channel; exposure. He says that hundreds of people have reached out to Ledges Hotel in many different ways to inquire more about it for many reasons. Overall it seems like being on Hotel Showdown on Travel Channel has been a positive experience for Justin and us at Ledges Hotel. If you have any other questions about Ledges Hotel, feel free to contact our fantastic staff.

Photo by: Jumping Rocks Photography